Garment-supporter.



N PATENTED'JAN. 13, 1903'.

J. J. YBLOOM & A. W. MENSOR. GARMENT SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1902.

NO-MODEL.

WITNESSES v IN RS @eLan/MA/ /4 am 461-0 4; W Axe/13a?" MM KA /M42! i J 'TORNEY.

Ni'r'tED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. BLOOM AND ABRAHAM W. MENSOR, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,418, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed April 14, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN J. BLooM and ABRAHAM W. MENSOR, citizens of the United. States of America, and residents of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in garment-supporters, and has special reference to a device of this class adapted to act.

in combination with suspenders to hold the trousers in place or to support drawers or like articles of wearing-apparel.

Among numerous objects attained by this invention and readily understood from the following specification and accompanying drawings, included as a part thereof, is a convenient and durable substitute for suspenderbuttons, incorporating essential features of simplicity and adaptability which facilitate the connecting and disconnecting of suspenders and insure a firm, positive, and sub- I 1 and indicated with the parts thereof in relative position as adjusted to place or'remove a garment. Fig. 3 is a View of the front jaw of the clamp looking at the outer side face thereof. Fig. 4 is a view of the back jaw looking at the inner side face and indicates the pivot and spring of the swinging jaw in position, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the lower end of the lever adapted to operate the clamp.

This invention embodies a suitable clamp comprising oppositely-disposed substantially rectangular jaws, as 10 and 11, which are preferably formed of plate metal of considerable width and are conveniently connected in operative relations for clamping by means of Serial No. 192,930. on model.)

a suitable pivotal connection, as now consid ered comprising suitable laterally-disposed lugs, as 12 and 14, formed on opposite edges of respective jaws substantially midway the length of their stem portions in correlative position to receive a suitable pivot, as 20, which is preferably made of suitable length to extend across the clamp, and thereby conveniently assist in confining the spring adapted to open the clamps. The jaws are closed by means of an improved clamping device conveniently mounted on the clamp, so as to cause the gripping-surfaces of these jaws to positively and forcibly approach each other, and this device is connected to the suspender or like strap and associated with said jaws in a manner which insures positive hold of the clamp on the garment by its own weight. As now considered, this jaw-operating device comprises a lever, as 16, which is suitably mounted on the clamp with the lower end playing between the upper ends of the stems of the jaws and the opposite end arranged for the connection thereto of a Suspender-strap or the like. This lever is formed with a suitable laterally-projecting part at the lower end, as a toe 17, which is arranged to forcibly separate the free ends of the stems of said jaws as the lever swings into alinement therewith and to allow said ends of the stems to approach each other as the lever is moved to a right-angled position, and thereby conveniently close and hold the jaws for gripping and release them for separation. As now considered, the jaws 10 and 11 are normally yieldingly held open by a spring 18, which consists of a suitable bar of resilient metal bent upon itself at a .point substantially one-third of its length and having the folded end bent upwardly at a slight curve and the leaves suitably separated to hold the said jaws normally apart, and said spring is suitably confined between these jaws .by placing its folded end under the pivot 10 with the free end of its long leaf in abutment with a suitable lug, as 19, arranged on the under surface of the jaw 11 adjacent its lower end.

In the present embodiment the jaw 10 is formed with a ridge, as 21, on the inner side surface adjacent the lower edge and an aper ture 22 substantially midway its width close 'to this ridge, and a portion, as 27, of the free end of the stem of this jaw is preferably reduced in width and first bent inwardly to lie over the end of the stem of jaw 11 and then bent downwardly at the extremity, so as to conveniently provide for a suitable hinged connection of the lever 16 and form a stop, as 23, which acts to prevent accidental displacement of the lever when the jaws are set to grip.

The jaw 11 is preferably formed with the lug 19 arranged to register with the aperture 22 as the jaws close, and this lug is made conical and of a suitable size to force a portion of the garment gripped into said aperture as the jaws close, and thereby insure more positive hold on the garment. This jaw is formed with the upper end of the stem substantially equal in width to the opposing surface of jaw 10 and is connected to this jaw at a suitable point to cause the lower edge thereof to just clear the ridge 21 as the jaws close, and thereby bend the garment over this ridge and pinch it between said edge and the ridge, and thus increase the grip of the jaws.

As now considered, the lever 16 is formed with the lower end portion substantially equal in width to the upper end portion of the stem of jaw 10, with the toe 17 extended across this portion, and in the heel thereof a rectangular slot 24 is formed in the lever, which is of suitable length to receive the inwardly-bent portion 27 of the stem ofjaw 10 and of awidth which allows the lever to swing downwardly to a right-angled position, Fig. 2, and thereby allow the jaws to open or swing upwardly into alinernent with said jaws and force them to close, Fig. 1. The upper end of this lever is formed in any ordinary or desired manner to arrange for suitable connection to a suspender-strap or the like and may have a slot, as 26, arranged to receive the end of said strap, and the upper forward corner edge of slot 24 is preferably beveled to insure the lever riding the inwardly-projecting portion of the stem of jaw 10 as the spring 18 presses it rearwardly when the lever swings to a right-angled position, Fig. 2. To assemble this clamp, the lever 16 is first placed in position over the stop 23, when the jaws are connected by placing pivot 20 in position, and the spring 18 is then inserted between the jaws. The application and removal of this clamp can be readily understood from the foregoing, and the general form of the parts will be discerned therefrom, taken in connection with the figures of the drawings; but its op eration, briefly stated, is as follows: The jaws 10 and 11 are normally apart, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lever 16 rests in a right-angled position and is yieldingly held by action of the spring 18, which forces the upper end of jaw 11 to hold the toe 17 against the stem of jaw 10. The garment to be supported is then placed in the jaws, and the lever 16 is moved to the alined position shown in Fig. 1, the toe 17 swinging outwardly and forcing the upper ends of the jaws apart, and consequently the lower ends together to engage the garment tightly, and the lever is held in alined position by the bearing of the lower side marginal portions upon the opposing surface of the jaw 10 and the binding of the upper end of the stem of jaw 11 between the too 17 and stop 23, and the lever is prevented from being swung from alined position as the wearer stoops over or bends the body forwardly. When it is desired to release the clamp, it is simply necessary to forcibly press the lever to the position shown in Fig. 2, when the jaws will open by action of spring 18 and lie free. This clamp is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction and presents a neat and pleasing appearance, While it is both durable in use and positive in action and affords a garment-support whose operation is readily understood and which has a powerful gripping action.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, 1s-

1. A garmentsupporter, comprising a clamp composed of a pair of jaws connected in clamping relations, one of said jaws having an inwardly-projecting portion at the free end of the stem extending over the stem of the opposing jaw and a downwardly-extending stop at the outer end of said portion, a lug on the gripping-surface of one of said jaws and an aperture in the opposing jaw to receive said lug, a spring between said jaws comprising a bar of resilient metal bent upon itself and having the stems separated to normally yieldingly hold said jaws open, and a lever having a slot adjacent one end fitting loosely said laterally-projecting portion and a toe at said end playing between the free ends of said jaws and the opposite end of said lever having a slot adapted for the connection of a suspender.

2. A garmentsupporter, comprising a clamp composed of a pair of substantially rectangular plate-metal jaws having inwardlyprojecting lugs on their opposite side edges substantially midway the length of the stems, a pivot passing across said jaws and seated in said lugs, one of said jaws formed with an inwardly-projecting portion ofless width than the stem and extending from the free end thereof over the stem of the opposing jaw and a downwardly-extending stop at the outer end of said portion and a ridge extending across the lower edge of said jaw and an aperture in the jaw adjacent this ridge, a conicalshaped lug on the opposing jaw adapted to register with said aperture, a spring between said jaws comprising a bar of resilient metal bent upon itself and having the folded end curved upwardly about said pivot and the leaves separated to normally yieldingly hold ICC said jaws open and the free end of one leaf abutting said lug, and a lever having a slot adjacent one end fitting looselysaid laterally-projecting portion and a toe at said end playing between the free ends of said jaws and the opposite end of said lever having a slot adapted for the connection of a suspender.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 13th I day of March, 1902.

JOHN J. BLOOM. ABRAHAM W. MENSOR.

Witnesses:

E. B. HERALD, FRANK E. ADAMS. 

